Black Federal Agent Claims Racial Profiling By Sheriff Deputies

New Mexico

Carol Ozemhoya | OW Contributor |
12/7/2017, 11:12 a.m.

A Black female federal immigration agent filed a lawsuit Tuesday (Dec. 5) against a police department in New Mexico, accusing it of racial profiling after she was repeatedly stopped by sheriff’s deputies without any valid reason. According to Fox News, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of U.S. Immigration, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation agent Sherese Crawford, 38, by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico against the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, Albuquerque. The lawsuit stated that Crawford was stopped more than three times — two times by the same deputy — without any probable reason. She was initially stopped in April because she was suspected of driving a stolen car, despite using a vehicle provided by her agency, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit further alleged that Bernalillo County Sheriff's Deputy Patrick Rael pulled over Crawford again a month later for tailgating; Rael recognized her and told her an officer with her federal agency and a sheriff's deputy present at the first stop said she had an “attitude." Crawford was then again stopped by Rael a few days later for driving too slow. She did not receive any warnings or citations for any of the stops. ACLU attorney Kristin Greer Love said, “Our client is an accomplished federal agent who was targeted for driving while Black. BCSO unlawfully and repeatedly stopped her because she fit a racial profile. Targeting people because of the color of their skin is unconstitutional and bad policing." The county sheriff’s department refused to comment as the lawsuit is pending.